From barter to Bitcoin, from traditional financial structures to blockchain frameworks, money stands as one of the most remarkable and enduring innovations in human history, born some five thousand years ago and continuously reinvented ever since.
This evolution accelerated sharply with the digital revolution that followed the Second World War and shows no sign of slowing: the emergence of crypto technology is simply the latest chapter in a story of relentless transformation.
It is precisely in this context that House of Training is launching two new English-language training programmes, covering a spectrum of the field: The History of Monetary Systems & Crypto Currencies and Custody Services for Crypto Assets.
Armand Saive, Trainer at House of Training, shares what inspired these programmes and why this moment, more than any other, calls for investing in this knowledge.
1. What prompted you to develop these programmes and why now?
What prompted me is a gap I keep observing between the speed at which the crypto and digital asset space is evolving and the level of understanding that most finance professionals actually have of it. We are no longer talking about a niche phenomenon. Crypto assets are entering the mainstream of institutional finance — banks, asset managers, depositaries, and fund administrators. Yet many professionals still lack a solid foundation to engage with this reality confidently.
Why now?
Because the regulatory environment has dramatically matured. MiCA is in force. The US regulatory stance has shifted. Institutional validation of crypto assets is accelerating. This is precisely the moment when structured, rigorous training makes a difference — not after the wave, but while it is building.
2. Who is this programme truly designed for?
The two programmes address different entry points, but they are complementary.
History of Monetary Systems & Crypto Currencies is deliberately accessible and inclusive. It is designed for anyone, curious minds, finance generalists, and advisors, who wants to understand the origins and defining characteristics of money, trace the place of cryptocurrencies within that long history, and assess the opportunities and risks they present today. No specialist background is required.
Custody Services for Crypto Assets, developed in partnership with ALFI, goes further and deeper. It targets professionals directly involved in, or exposed to, crypto-asset custody, a domain that remains deeply challenging when viewed through a traditional finance lens.
The asymmetric nature of this custody environment creates significant implications for depositaries in terms of roles, responsibilities and operational frameworks. This programme is designed for those working in banks, depositary institutions, asset management firms, fund administrators or CASPs who need a robust regulatory and operational understanding of how digital assets are held, governed and secured.
Together, these two programmes form a coherent learning path, from the foundations of monetary history to the front line of digital asset infrastructure.
3. What will participants concretely be able to do after completing these programmes?
After the monetary systems programme, participants will be able to explain what money really is and how it has evolved across history, including the relationship between money and asset values, and to understand how cryptocurrencies fit into, or disrupt, that long continuum.
They will also be equipped to assess the opportunities, challenges and risks of crypto with genuine perspective, grounded in real-world business cases.
After the custody programme, participants will be able to:
Understand the technical fundamentals of blockchain, private keys, and custody models
Map the key players and risk factors across the crypto-asset ecosystem
Interpret and apply the regulatory frameworks governing custody, MiCA, MiFID, DORA, the GENIUS and Clarity Acts, Luxembourg blockchain laws, and anticipate the trends and implications these initiatives will have on traditional finance
Make informed decisions regarding custody considerations for investment funds, tokenisation, and digital asset services
The core takeaway is not simply knowing more about crypto; it is being able to act with clarity, confidence and regulatory grounding in a fast-moving environment.
4. What sets these programmes apart from a standard crypto training?
Most crypto trainings focus either on hype or on technical detail in isolation. These programmes are different in three fundamental ways.
First, they provide context. Understanding monetary history is not an academic exercise — it is what allows you to assess crypto with genuine judgement, free from both fear and uncritical enthusiasm. That historical grounding changes how you look at wealth in general and at assets in particular.
Second, they are built around professional reality. The custody programme in particular is structured around what practitioners actually face: operational risks, regulatory complexity, the impact of tokenisation on fund structures, and the coexistence of SWIFT and DLT systems. It is rooted in real scenarios, not idealised ones.
Third, they are forward-looking without being speculative. The programmes look ahead to 2026 and beyond — at the institutional validation of crypto, at the emerging role of custodians as potential systemic actors, and at regulatory convergence and divergence across jurisdictions.
5. What is the one message you want participants to leave with?
Understanding money and how it fundamentally works is one of the most valuable things a financial professional can invest in right now.
Crypto is not going away. It is becoming part of our infrastructure and our landscape. And whether you work in custody, fund administration, compliance or client advisory, the ability to speak about it with confidence and precision is an increasingly core professional skills.
Beyond technical knowledge, I hope participants will leave with the conviction that this space is navigable, that with the right foundations, the right frameworks, and the right perspective, they can engage with it as informed professionals, not as bystanders.
If they walk away feeling more grounded, more curious, and more capable of contributing to the conversations already taking place within their organisations, then these programmes will have done their job.
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